Nokia 6 2018 Hands On: A Refreshing Upgrade To A Solid Design

The launch of the Nokia 6 smartphone marked the brand’s re-entry into the ever competitive mobile devices market. It was an important phone for HMD Global, and to some extent, the phone managed to do well in multiple markets. Agreed, the specs were unimpressive, with a low-end SD430 powering the device, but all its flaws in the hardware department would be forgiven for its stellar built quality and experience.

Now, the new generation Nokia 6 2018 is here, and this time around, the company has made some important upgrades. The hardware gets a much needed boost, and the design gets a few changes like thinner bezels, bringing it closer to recently launched smartphones. But not too close, since it still features a 16:9 display.

So, the company has retained what was good about the first generation Nokia model and added a few optimisations, like in the camera department.

HMD Global has carried forward the strong built quality of the first generation model, using a 6000 series aluminium alloy body with CNC moulding. As you can see in the Nokia 6 Hands on pictures, the metal frame gets orange accents, and so do the camera housing and fingerprint sensor. This adds a splash of color to the black body. The quality of workmanship remains the same, so the built quality is sturdy and strong. This is what we expected, since the first gen. Nokia 6 was one of the most durable smartphones of 2017.

Though the built quality is as strong as ever, there are a few changes in the design of the new generation Nokia 6 2018. The phone ditches the physical home button up front, making way for a 16:9 display. Note that the screen size remains the same, which also means that the device has become more compact. The phone features the following dimensions: 148.8 x 75.8 x 8.2 mm which makes it smaller than the first gen. model with dimensions: 154 x 75.8 x 7.9 mm. Yes, the new model is a bit thicker, but overall, the phone feels like a compact 5.5-incher.

Since you no longer have the fingerprint sensor up front, it goes to the back of the phone. The placement of the sensor is comfortable for everyday use, but there are times that you might accidentally touch the flash instead of the sensor that lies below. But don’t worry, this happens only in the initial period, until you get used to the placement of the sensor.

On the right side, you have the power and volume buttons, while the left side has the hybrid dual SIM card slot. The top features the dedicated 3.5mm headphone jack.

At the bottom of the phone, you have a USB Type-C port along with speakers. Note that the first gen. model had a MicroUSB 2.0 port, so this is an upgrade.

Overall, the new design builds on what was already good about the first generation Nokia 6. With a solid SD630 processor and 4GB of RAM powering the new model, the performance is pretty snappy as well. We are currently taking a few samples from the device and those should be up very soon.

Joel loves technology and has been addicted to it since childhood. He believes Chinese companies will play a major role in developing new tech for the global smartphone industry. He also loves riding his motorcycle, watching sci-fi / historical documentaries and traveling to new places.